Electric branding iron



Nov. 27, 1

R. O. BENNETT ET AL ELECTRIC BRANDING IRON Filed April 8, 1955 EDA/ION@ J WE/CV-/EL United States Patent ELECTRIC BRANDING IRON Ralph (l. Bennett, Alfalfa, and Edmond J. Weichel, Colony, Okla.

Application April 8, 1955, Serial No. 500,133

2 Claims. (Cl. 219-430) This invention relates to branding irons, and more particularly to a branding iron that is electrically operated for heating the suitably shaped brand with which the animal is to be marked.

Important objects of the invention are to provide a generally improved electrically heated branding iron, that will be light, compact, and simple in construction to permit a minimum cost of manufacture; to provide a branding iron that is completely separable so far as the several component parts thereof are concerned, thus to facilitate replacement of any individual parts; form the branding iron in such a way as to insure ruggedness and trouble free operation; facilitate the interchanging of brands; and permit heating of the brand to a selected, adjusted temperature.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claims appended thereto and from the annexed drawing in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views and wherein:

Figure l is a side elevational View of a branding iron formed according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view; and

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view on line 3--3 of Figure 2.

The branding iron generally designated constituting the present invention includes an elongated, cylindrical handle 12 of an electrical insulative material having an end to end axial bore 14 formed with an enlarged part adjacent the inner end of the handle providing a cavity 16. In the outer end of the bore a flanged grommet or sleeve 18 of electrically insulative material is mounted, and extending through the sleeve into the bore is an electric cord 20, having at its outer end a conventional electric plug 21 insertible into any nearby convenient outlet, not shown.

One lead of the cord, within cavity 16, is connected to a terminal 24 of a temperature control means 22, said means constituting a rheostat mounted in the cavity and having a terminal 26 spaced from the terminal 24. The cavity opens upon one side of the handle, the rheostat having a face plate at said side as shown in Figure l, on which face plate is mounted a swingable control handle 28 of electrically insulative material traversing an arcuate series of calibrations 30, graduated to designate dierent heats desired. The handle 28 is pivoted on and extends radially of the terminal screw 24, and secured to the handle within the cavity, for rotation with the handle is a radial, electrically conductive arm 31 in contact with screw 24, and traversing an arcuate resistance 32, with which the conductive arm 31 is in electrical contact. The resistance 32, at one end, is connected by a suitable extension of the resistance wire to the terminal 26.

Connected at one end to the terminal 26 is a lead 34, extending in side by side relation with the other lead 36 of the cord 20. Leads 34, 36 project out of the inner end of the bore, and are electrically connected to terminal screws 38, 40 threaded in complementarily threaded female plugs or sleeves 46, 48 embedded in spaced relation ICC in a cylindrical block 50 of electrically insulative material having at its upper end external threads 52 engaging Vcomplementary internal threads formed upon the depending, cylindrical skirt of a tapered connecting member 54 formed at its upper, smaller end with internal threads 56 engaging external threads formed upon the inner end of handle 12.

Sleeves 46 and 48 extend fully from the inner to the outer surfaces of block 50,. and at their outer ends have outwardly directed anges 58, 60 respectively engaging the outer end surface of the block 50. The sleeves are adapted -to receive elongated male prongs 62, 64 which, when inserted in the sleeves are in electrical contact therewith and are frictionally engaged in the sleeves. Prongs 62, 64 are formed upon the opposite ends of a length of electrically conductive, rod material shaped intermediate its ends to form a suitable brand 66 (Figure 2). The brand will, of course, be of any desired design, according to the needs of the particular ranch owner, and the length of rod material is of a material which, on the passage of electrical current therethrough, will become heated to a degree sulcient to burn the brand into the hide of the animal.

The temperature of the brand can be controlled by adjustment of the handle 28 to a selected position along the graduated scale 30, and with the plug 21 plugged into a suitable convenience outlet, the brand will be maintained at the uniform heat selected, throughout the branding operation involving any number of head of stock.

The brand, as noted from Figure 3, is readily removable from the sockets dened by the female plugs 46, 48, and thus, it is necessary only that a properly shaped brand be formed, for use in the branding iron, the iron otherwise being capable of manufacture in quantity without necessity of specially designing the same for use by a particular rancher.

Further, the entire device is spearable, since the handle, connecting member 54, and block can all be taken apart for replacement of any selected portion of the device.

It is believed apparent that the invention is not necessarily conned to the specific use or uses thereof described above since it may be utilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intended to be illustrative of the principles, it being considered that the invention comprehends any minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An electric branding iron comprising an elongated handle having an axial bore therethrough, said handle having an enlarged cavity communicating with the bore intermediate opposite ends of the handle; an electrically conductive cord extending through said bore of the handle and including a pair of leads, one of said leads extending continuously through the cavity, the other lead terminating Within the cavity; an electrical rheostatic device mounted in said cavity and including an operating handle disposed exteriorly of the handle, said device including spaced terminals to one of which the other lead of the cord is connected; a lead connected to the other terminal of the rheostatic device and projecting with the first named lead out of the handle; a connecting member attached to the handle and extending about the first named and the last named leads; an electrically insulative block secured to said connecting member; a pair of spaced electrically conductive sleeves mounted in said block, said one lead and the last named lead being connected to said sleeves; and a brand formed from a length of electrically conductive rod material having its ends removably engaged in said sleeves, said brand being formed of a material adapted to heat vkresponsive to the passage of electrical current therethrough.

2. An electrical branding iron comprising an elongated handle formed of an electrically insulative materialgsaid handle vhaving an axial bore opening upon the opposite ends -thereof and being formed with a cavity of -greater diameter Vthan the bore communicating with the bore intermediateopposite ends-of the handle; a cord extending through said bore, and including an electrical plug yat one end for engagement in a convenience outlet, one lead ofthe cord being extended continuously from end to YendV of the bore, the other lead of the cord terminating within the cavity; rheostat means mounted in said cavity and having a control handle disposed exteriorly of the first named handle, said'rheostat Vmeans being connected at one side -to said other lead further including a scale lprovided with a plurality-of calibrations designating the temperature to which the iron is to be heated; a third lead connected to the other side of the rheostat means and projecting -withthe rst named lead out vof the handle; a tapered connecting member detachably connected at one iend to the handle; a block of'electrically insulative ,ma-

terial detachably connected tothe other end of the connecting member; a pair of spaced electrically conductive Vsleeves yembedded in the block, said sleeves being-connected at one end to said one lead and to the last named lead, and at their other ends opening upon one end of the block; and a brand formed from a single length of rigid rod material, said length at opposite ends thereof being formed into spaced, parallel male prongs frictionally and removably engageable in the respective sleeves, said lengths of rod material intermediate its ends being shaped to provide a brand, the length of rod material being formed of a material adapted to heat responsive to the passage of electrical current therethrough.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,744,720 Blackburn Ian. 28, 1930 2,249,600 Bryan `luly 15, 1941 2,514,618 Ancell July 11, 1950 2,707,224 'Hall Apr. 26, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS '20,304 Great 'Britain Dec. 12, 1890 100,480 Australia Mar. v18, 1937 

